Yeah, once again like before I left, time is broken and has begun to fly! I'm leaving here at 7 in the morning on Tuesday. I'm so excited to serve the people and missionaries in Houston! I'll be the last one to leave from my district. Elder Black leaves Mondaymorning, then the Chileans Monday night, then Elders Alldredge and Burton Tuesday morning a few hours before me. I'm so stoked, but not looking forward to the goodbyes.
My Spanish is getting so good! Yesterday, tonight, and Saturday night, me and Elders Jensen, Jensen, Mace, Alldredge, and Burton get to go to a Latino district to hear their discussions and classes. Yesterday was super cool! I understood probably 70% of it. Not too shabby! I can feel the Gift of Tongues at work little by little!
We taught our 'investigators' for the last times this week. Our lessons were getting boring because they were practically perfect haha. They never had problems in their lives, and they always accepted our message, and always did their homework. But nonetheless, it was always a good experience.
Cool experience: on a solo Español day last week, we saw a moth outside our casa. I put my hand up by it, it was easily bigger than my hand! It was practically bat sized. When Elder Sharp (in my casa, also going to my mission) poked it with a mop, it started flying and he screamed like a girl.
Everyone in their room (the Houston room) all try to scare each other. Just jump out pranks. And they ALL have the girliest screams! I go to their room a lot at night to chat. They are Elders Sharp and Beveridge (like the drink) and Fails and Balls. I'm stoked to go into the field with them!
There was a lot of cool meetings on Sunday. First things first, hearing the newbies give talks in Sacrament meeting is just a guilty pleasure. I always get a giggle out of it. We watched an MTC devotional of Elder Holland that was an amazing call to action! I feel so inadequate for the field! But I know I'm not here to preach for myself; it's His message I'm preaching. If I put in enough effort to prepare, I will receive his Spirit sufficiently (which I've noticed in the past, and love)! After dinner, we watched a Joseph Smith video that made me cry. We had a very spiritual district meeting afterwards. I love this district. They are my family away from family!
So the thunder here is like nothing I've ever heard before! It rattles clothing and is simply spectacular! I love so much about this place!
Hermana Vawdrey and I are performing Come Thou Fount on Sunday for a devotional, which should be spectacular if my voice holds out. I've picked up a bit of a sore throat. Fortunately on that front, I have a new favorite candy. It's called Halls cough drops. They are 3.5 pesos at the tienda, and there are 4 flavors. I love them all. Weird? Maybe. But do I love them? Yes I do.
I have some advice to give for aspiring missionaries and others. First off, develop a habit of writing in an agenda. The more you plan out the more you'll get done. I was terrible at this before, and am developing slowly. But I can see the benefit! Secondly, to anyone who wants to find out precisely and accurately what our church is about, get a copy of the (short) book Our Search for Happiness by M. Russell Ballard. I took a week off from Jesus the Christ to read it, and loved every page of it. It is incredibly spiritual. It's difficult to describe, but it's amazing!
So funniest thing: in a different casa, Elders Mace and Jensen and a few others were doing a core workout at night time. Elder Mace is a weird and hilarious person. He brought 2 aprons from home, which he and Elder Jensen were wearing for this workout, because random and weird and funny. So they hear a knock on the door, and Elder Jensen thinks it's an Elder coming home late or something, so in this girlish voice walks up to the door and says "who is it?" When he opens the door, it is our CCM president, President Pratt. Yeah, Jensen's in an apron. Then Elder Mace comes running in, "so who is it?" in a orange flame apron. Yes, the president is befuddled. They went through the awkward explanation of it all, but it was absolutely hillarious!
To make up for this, we went caroling to his house last night :) We sang Brightly Beams our Father's Mercy in Spanish to him and his wife. He teared up and loved it! He made us do it again so he could sing with us. It was really cool.
Well, that's about all the time I'm gonna squeeze out of this email session! As I depart, I want to let everyone know that I have a firm testimony that this gospel is true! I live it, I love it! With all my heart. And I love everyone reading this! Lo comparto en el nombre de Jesucristo, amén.
-Elder Spjute
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